Social Connectedness of Deaf Retirees

The intergenerational connectedness that has traditionally bound members of the Deaf community to each other is changing amidst the current technological and cultural landscape. This study explores perceptions of Deaf retirees concerning their usefulness to younger generations and their need to stay connected to each other despite increasing isolation due to implications of aging. Factors such as communication networks, transportation availability, proximity to families and friends, technology, and vital connections to the local residential school for children who are deaf are discussed as emergent themes from two focus groups conducted with 14 Deaf retirees. This exploratory study sought to discover how the dynamics between the generations have evolved and the positive and negative impact of such changes. The voices of the retirees in this study shed light on the complicating issues surrounding communication as a lifeline between generations of Deaf people who are native users of American Sign Language. Additionally, the traditions of social connectedness upheld by the Deaf community are similar to those of other collectivist cultures that also may experience shifting social networks within their own communities.     

Marital status and birthrate of deaf people in two Swedish counties: the impact of social environment in terms of deaf community

Deafness affects many social interactions. The impact of deafness depends on several factors, e.g., the type of social environment in terms of the particular Deaf community a person lives in. The authors recorded the birthrate and the proportions of married and divorced people among deaf people in two Swedish counties: Narke, which had a strong Deaf community, and Varmland, whose Deaf community was weak. In both counties, the authors found that deafness was associated with low marriage rates and low birthrates. Further, in Narke, 99% of the people in the sample were married to another deaf person; only 10% were in Varmland. In Narke, the divorce rate among deaf people was about the same as that of the reference population (i.e., the county's marriage-age population). In Varmland, deaf people had a relatively low divorce rate. The findings are discussed from medical and social perspectives.     

A national survey of social work services in schools for the deaf

The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of school social workers and the services they deliver in schools for the Deaf. A 15-item survey was sent to 101 schools for the Deaf in the United States. The survey consisted of questions relating to personal characteristics, work experience, and job responsibilities of school social workers. A 72% response rate was obtained. Results suggest that, in general, social workers in schools for the Deaf perform functions similar to those of other social workers. However, social workers in schools for the Deaf tend to handle more health and financial concerns of students and their families. Social workers in schools for the Deaf lag behind other school social workers in professional training. Approximately a quarter of the surveyed social workers were deaf or hard of hearing.     

Designing deaf babies and the question of disability

This article explores the recent controversy surrounding a Deaf lesbian couple's deliberate attempt at finding a Deaf donor to increase their chances of having a d/Deaf baby. Many have criticized the Deaf couple for harming their child; Deaf advocates have responded that the couple's decision reflects a natural cultural desire. This article seeks to explore how the medical model of disability implicitly used on both sides of the debate has obscured important points. Once this controversy takes into consideration the social construction of disability, the ethical defense of seeking a deaf child gains further support. This leads to the ironic claim that seeking a deaf child could actually mitigate the conditions of disability within the family.     

Inclusive education and personal development

Open-ended questionnaires covering mainstream educational experiences and personal development of deaf and hard-of-hearing adults were analyzed. Half of the 34 deaf and hard-of-hearing respondents altered self-labels based on changes in personal definitions rather than audiological changes. Supportive school environments and coping skills contributed to positive perceptions; nonsupportive school environments and being treated as 'different' were viewed negatively. Everyone valued contact with hearing peers. Contact with deaf peers depended on finding those with similar values. Identification with Deaf culture was nonexistent. Most noteworthy, 24 of 34 participants felt caught between the deaf and hearing worlds, indicating the need for niches in both. Implications for educators are that development of self-confidence and comfort with identity may be enhanced by validating the deafness dimension through opportunities for contact with deaf adults and positive relationships with both deaf and hearing peers.     

Social Networks and Mothers' Interactions with Their Preschool Children

The relation of mothers' personal and maternal networks to the quality of their play interactions was examined. Personal networks consisted of all persons the mother deemed important in her life at the present time; her maternal network consisted of those who were important in her role as a mother. 44 mothers were $$ extensively about their social networks and kept a logdiary for 1 week of their contacts with networks members. They were also observed during a play session with their 4-year-old child. Intercorrelations among network variables supported the conceptualization of social networks as multifaceted with major distinctions between personal and maternal networks and between structure and satisfaction. Mothers who were more satisfied with their personal networks and mothers with larger maternal networks demonstrated more optimal maternal behavior: they praised their children more and they were less intrusively controlling. Mothers with less cohesive networks also demonstrated this pattern.     

Some ethical dimensions of cochlear implantation for deaf children and their families

A major source of controversy between Deaf people and those who support a "social/cultural" view of Deafness as "a life to be lived" and those who see deafness within a "medical model" as a "condition to be cured" has been over the cochlear implantation of young deaf children. Recent research has shown that there are noticeable inequities in access to such procedures in western countries; inequities that give rise to the need for informed public policy discussions. It has also found that parents of newly diagnosed deaf children are not provided with access to all the possibilities for their children-including that of a "Deaf life." How this information can be provided to parents and the public via widespread discussions in the media and elsewhere and involving Deaf people in the implantation counseling process is an issue that needs to be addressed by those responsible for implantation programs.     

Self-esteem and coping strategies among deaf students

Research studies on the determinants of self-esteem of deaf individuals often yield inconsistent findings. The current study assessed the effects on self-esteem of factors related to deafness, such as the means of communication at home and severity of hearing loss with hearing aid, as well as the coping styles that deaf people adopt to cope with everyday life in a hearing world. Data were collected among the deaf students of California State University, Northridge. Hierarchical regression modeling showed that identification with the Deaf community significantly contributed to positive self-esteem. Results also revealed that deaf students with greater degree of hearing loss and with bicultural skills that help them function in both the hearing and the Deaf community generally have higher self-esteem. Implications for further study are discussed.     

中学聋生网络交往情况的调查与分析

随着互联网的普及,网络为聋生的沟通与交往提供了一个全新的平台。网络交往作为一种新型的交往方式正深刻地影响着聋生的学习和生活。本文采用自编问卷,对83名中学聋生网络交往的情况进行调查和分析。调查结果显示：中学聋生普遍喜欢网络交往,他们的能力基本能满足网络交往的需要;网络交往对聋生语言能力、社会交往能力具有积极的影响;但学校网络资源配置相对缺乏,聋生网络交往对象局限于聋人。因此,应改善校园网络环境,重视聋生的网络交往,加强聋生网络交往指导,并构建聋生网络学习和交流平台。     

Deaf clubs today: do they still have a role to play? The cases of Cyprus and Greece

The present study investigated the current functions of Deaf clubs in Cyprus and in Greece. The researchers conducted in-depth semistructured interviews with 24 Cypriot and 22 Greek deaf individuals ages 19-54 years. The researchers found that the Deaf clubs in both countries provide a gathering place for deaf people, organize social and sport activities, and promote their demands through legislation. In addition, Deaf clubs maintain and transmit Deaf culture and history to future generations, offer Deaf role models to young deaf children and their families, and provide Deaf awareness to hearing people (e.g., through sign languages classes). The study participants also stressed the role of Deaf clubs in deaf people's lives, unity, and prospects for future progress.     

Deaf and hearing individuals' beliefs about the capabilities of deaf people

The study explored the beliefs of 100 residents of Greece about the capabilities of deaf people living in that country. Participants included deaf adults who communicated in Greek Sign Language (GSL), deaf adults who communicated orally, hearing adults who attended GSL courses, and hearing adults who did not attend such courses. Beliefs were explored through the ODP (Opinions About Deaf People) scale (Berkay, Gardner, & Smith, 1995) and an open-ended interview. All participant groups viewed deaf people's capabilities positively, but Deaf users of GSL expressed the most positive beliefs. The findings suggest that less positive beliefs reflect diverse ideological views toward GSL and Deaf culture or an awareness of the obstacles preventing deaf people from developing their potential. The Deaf community's role in empowering deaf people and the role of GSL courses in promoting awareness regarding deaf people are also discussed.     

我国聋校课程发展70年:1949-2019年

自新中国成立以来,我国聋教育先后经历了以1956-1957年聋校班级教学计划、1984年教学计划、1993年课程计划、2007年课程实验方案和2017年课程标准为代表的课程变革。在此进程中,聋校课程发展经历了从模仿借鉴到本土化课程探索再到中国特色聋校课程体系建立的内在发展逻辑。这个过程既是聋校课程与普通学校课程良性互动的过程,也是兼顾国家统一要求与地方和学校特色发展的调适过程,是培养社会公民的一致要求与发展学生个性的特殊需要的平衡过程。经过70年的发展演进,我国已逐步建立起具有中国特色的聋校课程体系。     

Parenting stress and social support in hearing mothers of deaf and hearing children: a longitudinal study

This longitudinal study investigated the impact of child deafness on mothers' stress, size of social networks, and satisfaction with social support. Twenty-three hearing mothers of deaf children and 23 hearing mothers of hearing children completed a series of self-report questionnaires when their children were 22 months, 3, and 4 years old. When children were 22 months, more mothers of deaf children reported pessimism about their children's achieving self-sufficiency and concerns about their children's communication abilities than did mothers of hearing children. When their children were 3 and 4 years old, mothers of deaf and hearing children did not differ in their reports of general parenting stress, as measured by the Parenting Stress Index (PSI). Likewise, mothers' ratings of satisfaction with social support were not affected by child deafness, nor did they change developmentally. Mothers of deaf and hearing children did differ in the types of support networks utilized. Mothers of deaf 22-month-olds reported significantly larger professional support networks, while mothers of hearing children reported significantly larger general support networks across all child ages. Mothers' feelings of stress and satisfaction with social support were very stable across the 2 years examined. The results suggest that most mothers of deaf children do not feel a high level of general parenting stress or dissatisfaction with their lives and support networks. However, mothers of deaf children are likely to feel stress in areas specific to deafness. In addition, because parenting stress was highly stable, special efforts should be made to intervene when mothers of deaf children are expressing high levels of stress.     

Parental networks,ethnicity, and social and cultural capital: the societal dynamics of educational resilience in Turkey

Resilience research has increasingly gained ground in the field of education research, due to its potential for ameliorating inequalities. This article deals with the emergence of educational resilience, with particular attention to parental network structure, by employing a Bourdieusian social and cultural capital approach. While much of the literature discusses resilience normatively as a personal trait, this article frames it as an outcome of larger societal processes. Drawing on a comparative study of the experiences of resilient student–mother and dropout–mother pairs living in inner-city areas of Istanbul, the article illustrates that the emergence of resilience is strongly linked to resources such as parental networks and that parental networks significantly differ along the nexus of ethnicity.     

Signs of resilience: assets that support deaf adults' success in bridging the deaf and hearing worlds

A multiple-case exploratory study is used to describe intrapersonal, behavioral, and environmental assets that may build bridges for Deaf adults between the Deaf and hearing worlds. A study of three exemplary former community college students provides new information about internal resources that may empower Deaf individuals to achieve work and social success in interaction with environmental support, despite the vulnerabilities associated with their deafness. This study identifies 15 assets that may support resilience in Deaf adults, including authenticity and comfort with solitude. The authors hypothesize that social authenticity and comfort with solitude may be resilience-fostering intrapersonal assets of unique importance in the Deaf community. From the positive psychology perspective of recognizing and building on human strengths, the authors suggest that support of mutual asset-building with learning partners in the classroom is one way professors might promote optimal student achievement and life success for all students.     

Reviewing the differences in size,composition and structure between the personal networks of high‐ and low‐performing students

An interesting aspect in the current literature about learning networks is the shift of focus from the understanding of the “whole network” of a course to the examination of the “personal networks” of individual students. This line of research is relatively new, based on small‐scale studies and diverse analysis techniques, which demands for more empirical research in order to contextualize the findings and to meta‐analyze the research methods. The main objective of this paper is to review two research questions posed by a previous British Journal of Educational Technology contribution by Shane Dawson in order to know whether the differences in personal network composition impact on the performance of students. The two questions were defined by Dawson as follows: (1) Are there significant differences in personal network composition between high‐ and low‐performing students? and (2) Do high‐performing students have larger personal networks than their low‐performing peers? In addition, the “clustered graphs” method used in this study allows the inclusion of the structural analysis of personal networks. In doing so, a new research question is addressed: (3) Are there significant differences in personal network structure between high‐ and low‐performing students? This paper tries to answer these questions in the context of two undergraduate, inter‐university and fully online courses, and two different technology‐enhanced learning environments (a virtual learning environment and a personal learning environment) where interactions took place indirectly through shared resources. The results show that the network behaviors of high‐ and low‐performing students' are strongly correlated, and that high‐performing students developed larger personal networks than low performers.     

Social integration of deaf children in inclusive settings

This article examines social integration of deaf children in inclusive settings in The Netherlands. Eighteen Grade 1-5 deaf children and their 344 hearing classmates completed 2 sociometric tasks, peer ratings and peer nomination, to measure peer acceptance, social competence, and friendship relations. Deaf and hearing children were found to be similar in their peer acceptance and friendship relations, but differences occurred in social competence. Deaf children scored lower than hearing children on prosocial behavior and higher on socially withdrawn behavior. Structural equation modeling showed peer acceptance, social competence, and friendship relations to be stable over time, and the structure of interrelations between variables at 2 measurements were found to be the same for deaf and hearing participants.     

Mental health problems of deaf Dutch children as indicated by parents' responses to the child behavior checklist

Emotional/behavioral problems of 238 deaf Dutch children ages 4-18 years were studied. Parental reports indicated that 41% had emotional/behavioral problems, a rate nearly 2.6 times higher than the 16% reported by parents of a Dutch normative sample. Mental health problems seemed most prevalent in families with poor parent-child communication. Deaf children ages 12-18 showed more problems with anxiety and depression and more social problems than those ages 4-11. Deaf children with relatively low intelligence showed more social problems, thought problems, and attention problems than those with relatively high intelligence. The authors stress the need to get information on deaf children's mental health functioning not just from parents but from other informants such as teachers and the children themselves. An expansion assessment of deaf children, and of special services and treatments for deaf children and adolescents with emotional/behavioral problems, is recommended.     

Perception of sign language and its application to visual communications for deaf people

Video communication systems for deaf people are limited in terms of quality and performance. Analysis of visual attention mechanisms for sign language may enable optimization of video coding systems for deaf users. Eye-movement tracking experiments were conducted with profoundly deaf volunteers while watching sign language video clips. Deaf people are found to fixate mostly on the facial region of the signer to pick up small detailed movements associated with facial expression and mouth shapes. Lower resolution, peripheral vision is used to process information from larger, rapid movements of the signer in the video clips. A coding scheme that gives priority to the face of the signer may be applied to improve perception of video quality for sign language communication.